Irish Pubs

The Irish pub is a phenomenon around the world. The wholesome blend of traditional, rustic decor, folk music, good-humour and Guinness seems to strike a note in many cultures. From its Dublin base, the Irish Pub Company has made a thriving business out of Irishifying more than 400 pubs in over 40 different countries. The itinerant nature of the Irish means you'll often find a bona fide Irishman propping up the bar, and this is no truer than in London. With a large, tight-knit Irish community, London's pubs will be buzzing with the welcoming sound of Gaelic laughter and sloshing pints of Guinness.

Waxy O'Connors

14-16 Rupert Street, W1D 6DF
Tacky O'Theme Pubs are busy enough on a normal week night, filled with all the office workers chasing a pint and a snog, but come St Patrick's Day they get absolutely rammed to the rafters with jubilant revellers. The parade goes pretty close to this one so it's perfect for a pit-stop. The cavernous interior, spreading across six levels, means it can only maintain a little bubble of atmosphere in each section, as well as a live band upstairs that won't disturb those who just fancy a bit of a blether. Nevertheless, the whole place will be a sea of Guinness, sing-song - with live music from the Bible Code Sundays - and good cheer on the day. On St Patrick's Day itself, 17th March, there's traditional Irish music and GAA games shown all day as well as all the latest from Cheltenham on the big screens. Just one note of caution: make sure you stay close to your friends - this place is massive and easy to get lost in.

More info: Waxy O'Connors Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Filthy MacNasty's

68 Amwell Street, EC1R 1UU
The 'whiskey cafe', Filthy McNasty's, is a good straight talking pub to pick for St Patrick's Day. There's no doubt the Irish punk pub will be packed out with its usual mix of unkempt youngsters, ageing barflies and weird and wandering individuals celebrating the most Irish of days. Inside the filthy part is cheered up with photos of counter culture and music icons hanging on the walls and a traffic light in one corner which looks like a set of particularly drunk students have dragged it in. The atmosphere in here is consistently loud and rowdy so expect 17th March to be squashed, beer-drenched and plenty of fun.

More info: Filthy McNasty's Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Irish Cultural Centre, Hammersmith

Blacks Road, London, W6 9DT
The Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith takes St Patrick's Day very seriously, or at least as seriously as such an euphoric celebration can be. All year round the centre strives to promote Irish culture in London. The venue itself is nothing special, it's a basic unadorned hall, but it's bursting with Celtic atmosphere. The acclaimed accordian player Donal Murphy will be performing along with Gino Lupari and Steve Cooney on Wednesday 17th March. This is energetic stuff which will have the crowds singing and dancing along to celebrate their nation's saint. Authentic atmosphere, traditional music, and cheap drinks - what more could you ask for?

More info: Hammersmith & Fulham Irish Centre Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Corrib Rest

76-80 Salusbury Road, Queen's Park, London, NW6 6PA
North West London's Irish community will be out in force to celebrate their national day, which means the Corrib Rest will be awash with a green-clad mob. From lunchtime onwards there will be live bands enthusiastically twanging guitars and fiddling away right into the night and a showcase of Irish sport on the big screens including hurling and Gaelic football. Wait for the evening to get going when you'll be treated to some wild, full-of-life Irish dancing. This is where the pub scenes in 'Spaced' were filmed, and they chose it because it's a proper, old-style London Irish pub, and a real change from the gastro places that have sprung up all over the area.

More info: Corrib Rest Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Quinns

65 Kentish Town Road, London, NW1 8NY
At first glance you wouldn't put Quinns down as an Irish pub - put the name aside and what you have is simply a great pub, not just another soulless Celtic-branded pub, a la O'Neil's. The Irish landlord and the fair smattering of punters from the Western Isle are what makes it Irish and this is reflected by the pleasant, convivial atmosphere. The beer selection will strike you (but not with its Irishness) - a long polished bar stretches away into the distance with over 20 pumps serving beers from all over the place, and possibly the best bottled selection in the capital. Of course you can get excellent Guinness, but the pub is particularly notable for German and Belgian beers. It gets pretty raucous on St Patrick's Day, so be prepared.

More info: Quinns Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

The Tipperary

66 Fleet Street, EC4Y 1HY
As London's oldest Irish pub, there's no better place to guzzle Guinness this St Patrick's Day. Founded in 1700, by Dublin brewer SG Mooney, this lofty, narrow, boozer was the first place to sell the black stuff, both bottled and draught. Suffolk's Greene King bought The Tipperary in the 1960s and restored it to its 18th century beauty. The floor mosaic is intricately peppered with shamrocks, while the walls are panelled in a rich dark wood. Downstairs and up, the pub is slung with huge mirrors and faded prints of Dublin and Cork. Typically, you'll come across a whole bunch of tourists claiming some sort of vague Irish ancestry visiting this charismatic little pub. St Patrick's Day, as a consequence, will be a blast. Green hats, a whole host of rosy faced revellers knocking back Guinness and maybe even a fiddler. Arrive early, as it's a fairly small pub and will no doubt be crammed with very thirsty, very raucous patrons desperate to get to the bar.

More info: The Tipperary Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

The Auld Shillelagh

132 Stoke Newington Church Street, London, N16 0JX
The Guinness in this soothingly dark little Celtic den is nothing short of exceptional. Smooth, bitter, creamy and rich - they serve up divine pints of the black stuff. Cavernous with cambered ceilings, this place feels endearingly authentic. A refurbishment has done no end of good without rupturing the age-old Irish artery that pumps Celtic tradition through the pub. Any revellers who step across its hallowed Gaelic threshold will receive one of the warmest welcomes in the capital. Guinness (that's all they expect you to drink) will be poured in its own time and brought to your table unprompted by staff employed to shower sincere smiles on their slightly inebriated patrons. St Pat's Day will be a proper big bash down in Stokey - heaps of hats, green shirts, dancing and, of course, drinking.

More info: Auld Shillelagh Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Coach & Horses

42 Wellington Street, WC2E 7BN
Occupying a prime location just off Covent Garden Piazza, this pub promises a hedonistic St Pat's party purely on the basis of its location rather than any particular effort on the pub's behalf. Jovial folk will pile into the pub early on the day having feigned sickness and escaped the confines of their nearby offices. Many a discerning Guinness guzzler has enjoyed a fine pint of the black stuff in this pub and even more argue they serve the best Guinness in the West End - it's the real Irish stuff, imported all the way from Dublin. If Guinness isn't your favourite Irish tipple, revellers can still sample one of the 80-odd Irish whiskeys behind the bar. We also recommend lining the stomach and gobbling down the chunky hot Limerick ham sandwiches. Again, inside it's on the small side with only a mere clutch of stools for exhausted party people to rest their bottoms on. The decor is refreshingly unfussy, just a few theatre posters and a curious golfing theme adorn the walls. Anyway, it's not about the interior - it's about the best fresh, un-pasteurised Guinness in London. Yum.

More info: Coach & Horses Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Anam

3 Chapel Market, London, N1 9EZ
We Londoners cherish the old, festering, traditional pubs of the capital (yes, we even love the stale smell of booze and sweat - now there's no smoke to mask it). However, you can add touch of glamour to your St Pat's Day celebrations at Anam London's only Irish cocktail bar. Retro-trendy and always busy, Anam (Gaelic for 'life and soul') is a pioneering bar unlike any of the capital's other Irish drinking venues. It's the winning drinks list that really makes the place stand out. You just have to sample the collection of outlandish cocktails designed by famous mixologist Tony Conigliaro of Zuma and Shumi fame. From premium brand spirits like Belvedere and Grey Goose vodka to seriously rare whiskeys such as Kilbeggan, Tyroconnell and Middleton Very Rare, his creations come from the finest ingredients.

Current events at Anam

Four Pound Thursdays event running until Thursday 23rd February 2012
TIMES 9th February, 16th February and 23rd February 2012 - 8pm-2am PRICING Free
DJs spin chart and party tunes.... More about this event

Blush event running until Saturday 25th February 2012
TIMES 11th February, 18th February and 25th February 2012 - 5pm-3am PRICING £5 after 9pm
DJs spin disco, soul, house and funk.... More about this event

Cocktail Fever event running until Saturday 25th February 2012
TIMES 11th February, 18th February and 25th February 2012 - 8pm-3am PRICING £3, Free before 10pm
Resident DJs spin R&B, electro, house and hip hop.... More about this event

All events at Anam

Did you know??

The Guinness Book of Records was first published in 1955, after a pub debate over the fastest game bird could not be settled using existing reference books. It's been a hit ever since with new records being added and old ones broken every year.

Current events at Anam